Screen printing machine for printing cylindrical and conical articles

ABSTRACT

A screen printing machine for printing on cylindrical and conical articles. The machine has a reciprocating printing stencil with a fixed ductor for applying printing. There are provided holding devices for the articles means for rotating the holding devices while the articles are in contact with the printing stencil and means for adjusting the devices to bring the articles into a normal position for printing. The holding devices comprise receiving members, and a feeding device carrying the receiving members and actuated to move the articles to be printed in timed sequence. The receiving members are made of slidable material.

United States Patent Kammann [4 1 June27, 1972 [72] Inventor: Wilirled Kammann, l Bustedlerstrasse,

Suedlengern, Germany [22] Filed: June 5, 1969 [21] Appl. No.: 830,778

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data June 11, 1968 Germany ..K 61471 June 11, 1968 Germany ..K 61472 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,183,223 12/1939 Mankin et a1 ..l01/124 2,721,516 10/1955 Campbell etal ..101/38 X 2,885,957 5/1959 Hansen 3,274,927 9/1966 Lusher et al 3,368,481 2/1968 Brockmann 3,521,298 7/1970 Morel et al. ..10l/40 Primary Examiner-Robert E. Pulfrey Assistant Examiner-Clifford D. Crowder Attorney-Jacob L. Kollin ABSTRACT A screen printing machine for printing on cylindrical and conical articles. The machine has a reciprocating printing stencil with a fixed ductor for applying printing. There are provided holding devices for the articles means for rotating the holding devices while the articles are in contact with the printing stencil and means for adjusting the devices to bring the articles into a normal position for printing. The holding devices comprise receiving members, and a feeding device carrying the receiving members and actuated to move the articles to be printed in timed sequence. The receiving members are made of slidable material.

1 Claim, 10 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUNZY I972 sum 2 or 8 INVENTOR:

Vfllfried Kammann PA'TE'N'TEDJum m2 3,672,296

sum 3 or 8 IN VENTOR:

Wilfried Kammann PATENTEDJum I972 3.672.296

sum u or a 1 N v F. N TO R Wilfried Kammann PATENTEDJUR 2 7 1972 SHEET 6 OF 8 vm mm vm PATENTEDauuzv I972 SHEET 70F 8 SHEET 8 BF 8 P'A'TENTEnJum m2 INVENTOR:

Wilfried Kammann SCREEN PRINTING MACHINE FOR PRINTING CYLINDRICAL AND CONICAL ARTICLES The present invention relates to a screen printing machine for monochrome or polychrome printing of cylindrical or conical bodies which by means of retaining devices are adapted to be rolled against a printing stencil.

It is an object of the invention to provide a screen printing machine which is fitted with simple to erect and economically producible retaining devices for the cylindrical or conical bodies to be printed, and which enables the cylindrical or conical jacket surfaces of the bodies to be applied to a flat printing stencil.

In accordance with the invention a screen printing machine with a reciprocating printing stencil and fixed ductor for monochrome or polychrome printing of cylindrical or conical bodies, has an adjustable holding device for applying the said bodies to the printing stencil, the said retaining device having receiving members made of a slidable or slidably formed material connected to a feeding device and moved in synchronism with the body to be printed.

In a preferred embodiment the receiving members are made of plastics material, metal or the like and may be detachably secured by means of a screw or socket connection to a conveyor device each being fitted with a recessed sliding surface to receive an end of a body to be printed.

The receiving bodies may each be provided in the surface region with an adjusting device and/or a pre-adjusting device, the latter being fitted with an engaging member scanning the end face of the body in a movement range of at least 360 for engagement in an index mark on the body to be printed.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention the holding devices with adjusting device are continuously adjustable relative the .printing stencil which is arranged on a horizontal plane about a pivotal axis, and the bodies to be printed on their cylindrical or conical jacket surfaces adjustably located on the printing stencil plane.

ln a preferred embodiment the holding devices with adjusting device are adjustable about a pivotal axis extending at right angles to the axis of. rotation of the bodies to be printed, the pivotal axis being below and outside the axis of rotation of the bodies.

The pivotal axis for adjusting the holding devices is preferably formed by a driving shaft of a driving device, adapted to move the holding devices continuously by means of an adjusting device about the pivotal axis.

It is particularly advantageous for individual bodies varying in their conicity to be arranged with their jacket surfaces tangential to a horizontal plane including to the plane of the printing stencil, so that the bodies to be printed make line contact with the printing stencils.

The invention will be described further with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a screen printing machine for monochrome or polychrome printing of cylindrical or conical bodies;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the same screen printing machine, partly in section, having a feeding device receiving a cylindrical body to be printed.

FIG. 3 shows an identical screen printing machine partly in section with a feeding device adjustable about a pivotal axis to receive a conical body to be printed;

FIG. 4 is an end view of a feeding device of a similar screen printing machine with detachably mounted holding devices for the bodies to be printed.

FIG. 5 shows a longitudinal section through a similar screen printing machine with detachably mounted receiving members.

FIG. 5a shows an end view of a feeding device of a similar screen printing machine with a modified design and arrangement of a receiving member.

FIG. 5b shows a cross section through a feeding device with receiving members on the line I--l of FIG. 5a;

FIG. 6 shows a side view, partly in section, of a screen printing machine with an axially displaceable adjusting device arranged in the region of the feeding device;

FIG. 7 is an end view, partly in section, of a pre-adjusting and adjusting device with driving devices and FIG. 8 is a plan view of the pre-adjusting and adjusting device region of a screen printing machine.

A screen printing machine in accordance with the invention for monochrome or polychrome printing of cylindrical bodies 10 or conical bodies 11 has a machine stand 12 with a horizontal displaceable feeding and removing device 13 such as a conveyor belt, roller belt or the like, for feeding and removing the bodies 10, 11 to be printed.

Above the feeding and removal device 13 there is a transporting device 15 rotating about a driving shaft 14 arranged horizontally and at right angles to the feeding motion of device 13, which device receives the bodies 10, 11 to be printed supplied by the feeding device 13, progressively conveying them to a printing position and retaining them during printing and subsequently transferring them to the removal device 13. The driving shaft 14 of this transporting device 15 meshes at one end with a gear 16 of a driving device (not shown); the other end is mounted in a U-shaped arm 17 rigidly connected to the gear 16 and extending in the lower machine region parallel to the driving shaft 14. The transporting device 15 is provided with two transporting discs 18, 19 rotating with the driving shaft 14 and axially variable with regard to their spaced relationship in accordance with the length of the bodies 10, 11 to be printed.

The discs are provided with a plurality of holding devices 20 arranged parallel (in an axial direction) relative to one another to receive the bodies 10, 11 to be printed. At the gear end of the shaft the transporting disc 18 is fixed on the driving shaft 14, and the transporting disc [9 is mounted so as to be axially displaceable along the said shaft. The fixed transporting disc 18 is provided with receiving members 21 to act as holding devices 20, which engage an end part of the body 10, 1 1 to be printed.

The transporting disc 19 in accordance with the number and position of receiving members 21 acting as holding devices 20 is provided with backstops 22 equal in number to the receiving members 21 which are subject to spring pressure from the transporting disc 19 to clamp and release the bodies 10, 1 1; they are axially displaceable and engage the other ends of the bodies 10, 1 1.

Mounted above the gear 16 on the machine stand 12 is a carriage 23 adapted to be reciprocated at right angles to the shaft 14 with a variable stroke; it is fitted with a printing stencil or screen 24 extending horizontally above the transporting device 15; this printing stencil 24 mounted on the carriage 23 is reciprocable below a fixed ductor 25.

The gear 16 is mounted to pivot about a driving shaft 26 of a driving device, not shown; the transporting device 15 with holding devices 20 is also pivotable on the driving shaft 14.

Because of this pivotal mounting of the transporting device 15 the bodies 10, 11 to be printed may have their jacket surfaces adjusted parallel to the printing stencil 24, so that both conical bodies 11 may have their jacket surfaces brought into a horizontal position corresponding to the printing stencil 24, their axis of rotation extending in a corresponding slant direction.

The angular adjustments of the gear 16 and the transporting device 15 are equal owing to their rigid connection.

The driving shaft 26 extends outside the transporting device 15 at right angles to the driving shaft 14 and away from the pivotal axis of the bodies 10, 11 to be printed. The pivotal movement of the transporting device 15 about the pivotal axis 26 may be effected by means of an adjusting device 27 which consists of a vertical threaded spindle 28 having a carrier body 29 (a lifting and lowering block) vertically reciprocable thereon.

The carrier body 29 of the threaded spindle 28 is hingedly connected to the connecting arm 17 by means of a lever linkage 30, so that when the carrier body 29 is vertically reciprocated by rotating the threaded spindle 28, the connecting arm 17 and hence the driving shaft 14 with transporting device 15 and the gear 16 are pivoted about the driving shaft 26.

The threaded spindle 28 is rotatable by means of a hand wheel 31 and bevel gears 32. The driving shaft 14 has a bearing 33 outside the conveyor disc 19, which at the lower end is provided with a cam track 34 for effecting axial displacement of the holders 22. Each holder 22 is provided with a roller or slider 35 which, when in rolling or sliding engagement along the cam track 34, displaces the counter holder 22.

The bearing 33 with cam track 34 has a toothed segment 36 which engages in a pinion 37. A further toothed segment 38 meshing with the pinion 37 is in engagement via a crank drive 39 with a length-compensating flexible shaft 40. This shaft is rotated via a gear 41 by the driving shaft 26, so that the toothed segment 38 and hence the pinion 37 is subjected to a pitch circle-like pivotal movement by the driving shaft 26 via a gear 41. The pinion 37 imparts a reciprocating pivotal movement to the toothed segment 36 and hence to the bearing 33 with cam track 34.

The cam track 34 is provided with an inlet slope 42 to bring the rollers or sliders 35 of the counter holders 22 gradually and without interruption towards the cam track 34 during timed rotation of the conveyor device 15.

The pinion 37 is of such a length that axial displacement of the conveyor disc 19 does not cause the toothed segment 36 to lose engagement therewith.

The rotary movement of the threaded spindle 28 allows a continuous pivotal movement of the driving shaft 14 with the holding devices 20, since the spindle is connected by means of the carrier body 29 and the connecting arm 17 to the gear 16 pivotally mounted about the axis 26; the conveyor device 15 is hence continuously variable into any required inclined position within a certain region, so that the bodies 10, 11 with the jacket surfaces extending parallel or at an angle to their pivotal axis may be brought into a position with a part of the surface tangential to the plane of the printing stencil.

The receiving body 21 of the holding devices 20 are made of a slidable material or a material made slidable, such as plastics material, preferably based on polytetrafluoroethylene sintered metal or the like, and a location mark on the end of each article to be printed is receivable in a recessed sliding surface 43. The receiving members 21 are adapted to be changeably secured in recesses 44 of the transporting device 15, (transporting disc 18) and the received body (10,1 1) may be retained in the receiving members 21 and turned therein for printing. The receiving members 21 are provided with a rigid connection with the transporting disc 18 and the bodies 10, 11 to be printed slide without wear and with minimal friction with their end face on the sliding surface 43 of the receiving bodies 21. The transporting disc is provided with a plurality of receiving members 21 acting as holding devices 20, arranged evenly spread over a pitch circle.

The transporting disc 18 is of circular shape and the receiving members 21 arranged in the edge region of the transporting disc 18 are located at the generating line of the transporting disc 18, so that a part region of the receiving members 21 forms a line with the transporting disc generating surface. The receiving members 21 may be recessed and/or cut ofi and/or flattened, this measure allowing a printing stencil 24 arranged over the transporting device 15 to make contact with the body 10, 11 to be printed over the whole length thereof.

Each receiving member 21 has an aperture 45 and the transporting disc 18 is provided in the region of these apertures with a recess 46, so that these two recesses 45, 46 form an aperture into which an adjusting device 48 connected in series therewith to fix the printing position of the bodies 10, 11 to be printed engages, or is adapted to be moved with clearance on all sides.

The modified embodiment of the holding device 20 shown in FIGS. a and 5b on the transporting device is provided with receiving members 21a made of metal, plastics material or the like which are rotatably retained in the transporting disc 18; these receiving members 21a have a bearing ring 21b of plastics material or the like located in the transporting disc 18 by means of retaining jaws 18a. The jaws 18a, preferably made of plastics material or the like, engage with a projection in an encircling groove 21c of the receiving member 210 and hence locate the receiving member 21a and the bearing ring 21b enclosing it axially over a part of the body length overlapped by the receiving member 21a, in the transporting disc 18, but the bearing ring 21b and the receiving member 21a are rotatably retained in the transporting disc 18. The holding jaws 18a are oppositely situated and secured by means of screws to the transporting disc 18.

The receiving member 210 is provided on the end face with a recessed receiving surface 21d for the bodies 10, 11 to be printed, which surface corresponds in shape to the shape of the body end. The holding jaws 18a and the bearing ring 21b are preferably made of plastics material based on polytetrafluoroethylene.

These modified receiving members 21a are especially suitable to receive bodies 10, 11 which are not provided with a closed bottom or which are provided only with an annular supporting surface; thus these bodies 10, 1 1 are retained centered in the receiving members and are rotated with the receiving members 21a for printing.

The pre-adjusting device 47 and the adjusting device 48 are identical in basic structure; the adjusting device 48 extends into the printing region, and the pre-adjusting device 47 separated therefrom by the distance of a holding device 20 from the adjusting device 27. The pre-adjusting and adjusting devices 47, 48 each have a rotatable head 49 in which an engaging member 50, such as a pin, a cam or the like subject to spring tension is mounted so as to be axially displaceable. This engaging member 50 engages in a recess (an aligning mark) on the bodies 10, 11 and aligns these in the required position; it also retains the bodies 10, 11 in the aligned position during the printing operation, this engaging member 50 imparting to the bodies 10, 11 the rolling engagement movement necessary for printing. The head 49 of the adjusting device 48 is in moving engagement with a shaft 51 having a pinion 53 engaging in a racked bar 52 of the slide 23, so that during the slide movement and printing stencil movement the adjusting device 48 is rotated and both movements are synchronized with one another (see FIG. 6).

The shaft 51 of the adjusting device 48 is mounted with the shaft end extending outside the pinion 53 in rolling or sliding bearings 54 of a displacing member 55; the latter is mounted on a holding plate 56 displaceably mounted on the driving shaft 14, which plate is adapted to be displaced via an eccentric drive 57, rotatable about a shaft 58, by the driving shaft 26 in the axial direction of the adjusting device 48.

The eccentric drive 57 is provided with a toothed segment 60 on a push-rod 59 and engages in a pinion 61. This pinion 61 is fixed to the holding plate 56 via an articulated lever 62, so that during a swivel movement of the pinion 61 the toothed segment 60 causes displacement of the articulated lever 62, whereby the holding plate 56 and the adjusting device 58 is moved axially in the direction of the bodies 10, 11 or away therefrom.

The pre-adjusting device 47 is mounted on a holding plate 63 displaceably mounted on the driving shaft 14, both holding plates 56 and 63 each being held by means of guides 64 to the gearing 16; the displacement movement of the pre-adjusting device 47 is effected in accordance with the adjusting device 48.

The pre-adjusting device 47 moves bodies 10, 11 received in the holding device 20 into the position necessary for printing, in which the engaging member 50 of the pre-adjusting device 47 scans the end region of the bodies 10, 11 and engages in the locating recesses of the bodies 10, 11. The adjusting device 48 receives the body 10, 1 1 brought into the normal position from the pre-adjusting device 47.

The pre-adjusting device 47 is provided with a pinion 65 which meshes with a gear wheel 66; these two gear wheels 65, 66 are in motional engagement via an eccentric drive 67 and interposed bevel gears 68 with thedriving shaft 58 passing through the gearing 16.

Two cranks 70 are mounted one on the gear wheel 66 and one on a shaft 69 connected with the bevel gears 68, ofi'set relative to one another through 180; the cranks 70 are interconnected by a lever 71, so that the rotary movement of the shaft 69 is transmitted to the gear wheel 66, the latter executing a reciprocating pitch circle movement which is transmitted to the pinion 65 as a rotary movement. The pinion 65 moves at least through 60", preferably through fl70, so that the engaging member 50 of the pro-adjusting device 47 rotating therewith is able to carry out a satisfactory scanning and seizing of the locating recess of the body 10, 11.

The pre-adjusting device 47 extends to the point marked with the reference numeral 72 (holding device 20) of the transporting device 15, and the adjusting device 48 is located at the point of the transporting device denoted by the reference numeral 73. The reference numeral 74 is the feeding point, and the reference numeral 75 the delivery point, of the transporting device 15 for the bodies l0, 11 to be printed. The transporting device 15 rotates in the direction of arrow A (see FIG. 4). All devices (transporting devices 15, printing stencil 24 and adjusting devices 47, 48) are driven in timed sequence and synchronized with one another by the driving shaft 58.

The screen printing machine in accordance with the invention is of simple structure, reliable in operation and operates continuously.

A particular favorable aspect is the simple and accurate continuous adjustment of the jacket surface of conical bodies to the horizontally arranged printing stencil, so that from a printing point of view it is possible to obtain a satisfactory contact between body and printing stencil.

A further favorable feature resides in the holding devices for the bodies, which hold these reliably and release them automatically.

The bodies to be printed are received by friction-reducing holding devices (receiving members), in which the bodies are positionally retained and for printing are caused to execute a pitchcircle-like pivotal movement; the bodies to be printed thus slide in the receiving bodies along the supported surfaces with very diminished friction.

Furthermore the bodies to be printed are brought by adjusting devices into the normal position necessary for printing and retained therein. Owing to the structure and driving arrangements of the pre-adjustment, a satisfactory engagement of the bodies in the region of their locating marks is ensured.

I claim:

1. A screen printing machine for printing cylindrical and conical bodies, comprising:

a printing stencil reciprocated below a fixed squeegee,

a feed and removal device for feeding bodies to and removing bodies from said machine,

a rotatable transporting device located between said feed and removal device and said printing stencil which progressively conveys said bodies to be printed from said feed and removal device to a printing station, rotatably retains them during printing, and then transfers the printed bodies back to the feed and removal device,

said transporting device having a driving shaft connected to a gear means of a driving device,

two transporting discs non-rotatably mounted on said shaft, said discs being fitted with holding means for each end of said bodies, one said transporting disc being axially displaceable on said driving shaft,

said holding means of both transporting discs being located axially opposed to one another, and each said holding means being located on a pitch circle and at a uniform angular distance from one another, the holding means of one said transporting disc being provided with annular receiving members which receive the corner region of the lower portion of one of said bodies, the holding means of the other transporting disc acting as a counterholder for said holding means of said one trans- P g disc.

said annular receiving members being interchangeable and having sliding surfaces enabling bodies retained therein to slide therealong,

a pre-adjusting device for engaging one of said bodies through said annular receiving member in one position of said transporting device for orienting said bodies relative to said printing stencil,

an adjusting device for engaging one of said bodies through said annular receiving member at a second position of said transporting device beneath said printing stencil for further orienting said bodies relative to said printing stencil and for rotating said bodies beneath said stencil,

said pre-adjusting device and said adjusting device each being provided with a rotatable head having an engaging member movable into engagement with said bodies for rotating said bodies in said sliding surfaces of said annular receiving members,

said driving shaft mounted at one end in a bearing member and at the other end in said gear means of said driving device, 1

a U-shaped connecting arm extending between said bearing member and said gear means, said gear means mounted for pivotal movement about a pivot axis transverse to said driving shaft,

an adjustment mechanism for acting on said connecting arm and pivoting said gear means and thus said transporting device about said pivot axis whereby the surfaces of said bodies to be printed may be oriented to be parallel to said printing stencil,

said adjustment mechanism including a vertical threaded spindle having a carrier body vertically reciprocable thereon, a link pivotally connected to said U-shaped arm at one end and to said carrier body at the other end, whereby vertical movement of said carrier body causes pivotal movement of said U-shaped arm and thus said transporting device about said pivot axis. 

1. A screen printing machine for printing cylindrical and conical bodies, comprising: a printing stencil reciprocated below a fixed squeegee, a feed and removal device for feeding bodies to and removing bodies from said machine, a rotatable transporting device located between said feed and removal device and said printing stencil which progressively conveys said bodies to be printed from said feed and removal device to a printing station, rotatably retains them during printing, and then transfers the printed bodies back to the feed and removal device, said transporting device having a driving shaft connected to a gear means of a driving device, two transporting discs non-rotatably mounted on said shaft, said discs being fitted with holding means for each end of said bodies, one said transporting disc being axially displaceable on said driving shaft, said holding means of both transporting discs being located axially opposed to one another, and each said holding means being located on a pitch circle and at a uniform angular distance from one another, the holding means of one said transporting disc being provided with annular receiving members which receive the corner region of the lower portion of one of said bodies, the holding means of the other transporting disc acting as a counterholder for said holding means of said one transporting disc, said annular receiving members being interchangeable and having sliding surfaces enabling bodies retained therein to slide therealong, a pre-adjusting device for engaging one of said bodies through said annular receiving member in one position of said transporting device for orienting said bodies relative to said printing stencil, an adjusting device for engaging one of said bodies through said annular receiving member at a second position of said transporting device beneath said printing stencil for further orienting said bodies relative to said printing stencil and for rotating said bodies beneath said stencil, said pre-adjusting device and said adjusting device each being provided with a rotatable head having an engaging member movable into engagement with said bodies for rotating said bodies in said sliding surfaces of said annular receiving members, said driving shaft mounted at one end in a bearing member and at the other end in said gear means of said driving device, a U-shaped connecting arm extending between said bearing member and said gear means, said gear means mounted for pivotal movement about a pivot axis transverse to said driving shaft, an adjustment mechanism for acting on said connecting arm and pivoting said gear means and thus said transporting device about said pivot axis whereby the surfaces of said bodies to be printed may be oriented to be parallel to said printing stencil, said adjustment mechanism including a vertical threaded spindle having a carrier body vertically reciprocable thereon, a link pivotally connected to said U-shaped arm at one end and to said carrier body at the other end, whereby vertical movement of said carrier body causes pivotal movement of said U-shaped arm and thus said transporting device about said pivot axis. 